Law of Evidence
by Nerumi H
Summary: It's finally time to make them proud.-Hans explains his ruined plan to a brother who wasn't in on the joke.


**.title.:** Law of Evidence

**.summary.:** It's finally time to make them proud. - Hans explains his ruined plan to a brother who was never in on the joke.

**.characters.:** Hans - Klaus

**.notes.:** I watched Frozen and never did I expect Hans to be so..._Hans_. He's fascinating. Though I'm still trying to figure out the finer tones of what his interactions with his brothers and such would be like, fanfiction is the best aid for that, so here I am.

This was done for an anonymous prompt on tumblr. Klaus's name is by emmasdisneyworld.

This might get continued, you never know. Enjoy!

**X**

Klaus is on the other side of the bars, seated against the wall in posture you'd maybe, some other time, lazily criticise if you weren't in the position that you are. You're not fit to comment on anything at all. He's reading through a scroll, and firelight doesn't let you see much of his face beyond the gauges carved above searching eyes as they take in the official documents.

The parchment - having been read to you earlier by the captain like a comical jest of what remained of your rights - it's little more than a casual request for your deportation. Absolute freedom regarding what your kingdom is to do with you, but some sort of corporal punishment or the entire opposite in the form of imprisonment out on the sea is preferred.

You didn't think the sisters had it in them, honestly.

You wait, growing ever more impatient with your brother. He's got time to be slow, take in every word, make the vaguest enunciations at things that catch his interest. And infuriate you: you cannot read him as well as he seems to be reading you.

And still you just _wait_, with the bitter thought that at least worthy criminals have a bed they deserve down here. A noisy sigh passes your teeth, and Klaus's sharp eyes snap up.

He says heavily, "I hope you're prepared to explain."

He sounds like your father again, you're all just kids, and this is a minor inconvenience like lost trinkets or someone getting bit. Funny.

You _are_ prepared to speak to him, about all of this – and yet –

It's not like you hadn't recited this tale a million times when you were being carted here, tweaking the corners, brushing off the shorn edges, but he's watching you, and it's got you falsifying arrogance with a rolling of your eyes that honestly just wants him to- please, please - unhinge from your stare.

You sigh, "They couldn't spare the ink to tell it all?"

"Here, I see – " he lifts the scroll trivially – "high treason, murder, and – well, eating the best celebration food."

You grimace. Her heartbreak apparently didn't cut as deep when her new boyfriend and dear cursed sister were on her side.

Klaus notices your face and speaks. "You've never been opposed to letting your mouth run, Hans; what is holding you back now?"

You try to trace the expression on his face, but the prison firelight conceals his expression too well. You wonder for a second what he must be thinking of, to once be here inquiring out of demeaning curiosities why murderers do come to rot, and now he's here asking his _brother_ the same question.

The answer comes quickly enough to you – _ashamed_; isn't that a constant between you and them?

You surreptitiously sink against the grimy wall, and breathe, praying to god he's listening, "I hope they cared to mention how close I came to succeeding."

He sneers around what is too bitter to be considered laughter.

"Well, you won't be so amused once you _do_ hear it," you snap.

"I'm sure I won't," Klaus responds, handing off the scroll, and firing you a sidelong glance – it has a telltale twitch of haughty glee, and your cheeks become entirely inflamed in frustration.

"Speak, Hans."

You don't have a choice, now, you've long ago learned.

You roll the story over in your head, considering where to start. You want to start near the end: Anna presumably dead, the entire kingdom and fellow dignitaries under your thumb, a soulless blaspheming demon succumbed to an agony you effortlessly impressed upon her.

Because if there's anything you can carry from that experience in Arendelle, it's that even if you are now imprisoned under your own castle by your family's hand, you _did_ land one girl in a crystal corpse and the other moments from melting the kingdom's blizzard with her own blood.

You want to start the second you locked Anna alone to die.

The second you had ambition, had success, because it's more any of them have ever dared to pursue. You're going to die a worthless royal anyways, it may as well be with the idea that you were one step closer to the top.

You mutter, "I was only righting what the queen had done wrong…"

...

There is no "let me listen to you". Or "let me see if I understand". Or even a cautious wade into asking him to repeat the tale, maybe with more details, or less if that's how bitter the truth tastes going down.

Klaus only listens, like he'd waited for this day, the day where his brother had done enough for them to be truly rid of him, for a very, very long time.


End file.
